Insole with non-slip, gripping nodules

ABSTRACT

A shoe insole with an upper surface covered with numerous, small elastomer nodules with outstanding non-slip, gripping properties that grip and cushion the foot, to eliminate movement or slippage of the foot inside a shoe and thereby help wearers avoid foot or toe injury when playing sports.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an athletic footwear insole with the upper surface covered with numerous, small gripping and cushioning nodules made of soft thermoplastic elastomer or rubber, designed to eliminate foot slippage inside the shoe as well as provide support and cushioning to the feet. The invention is intended as a replacement insole for sports or athletic shoes.

BACKGROUND

In the athletic footwear industry, sports shoes are generally sold with flat, relatively thin insoles constructed of foam, fabric, and/or similar materials. Such insoles lack any notable anti-slip or gripping properties for the feet, and provide little support or cushioning. For many athletes who play sports involving sudden stops, starts, jumps, and changes in direction (e.g., basketball, football, tennis, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and more), these insoles can be inadequate for reducing or preventing the athletes' feet from moving or slipping inside their shoes. The side-to-side movement may be reasonably controlled if the athlete has purchased correct-width shoes and fastened (or laced up) the shoes securely. Many athletes, however, have a difficult time limiting or controlling the back-and-forth movement (or slippage) of the feet inside the shoe, which can lead to toe injury and trauma over time. As an example, individuals with a combination of narrow and flat feet often have this problem, as the lack of curvature and width in the feet often result in poor fitting shoes and, consequently, unintended movement or slippage of their feet inside shoes while playing sports.

The back-and-forth movement of feet inside shoes can cause toes to frequently hit or be pressured against the inside front of the shoe. Over time, this can result in bruising, trauma, injury, and significant pain to the toes and the toe area. Common problems and injuries are bruising and swelling (e.g., blackened, swollen toes), ligament damage (e.g., “turf toe”), possible broken bones, toe sprains, as well as acute pain and discomfort. In an effort to address this significant but often overlooked problem, athletes have tried numerous strategies. For example, some athletes spend significant time and money purchasing numerous athletic shoes in search of that “right” fitting shoe that will alleviate toe trauma and pain. Others will purchase shoes that are too small where the toes touch or are close to touching the inside front of the shoe, believing there will be less space and therefore less foot movement inside the shoe. This does not solve the problem, however, because the toes will suffer the same impact forces during athletic play, notwithstanding the reduced space. (Notably, most shoe-fitting experts will recommend leaving a thumb's width between the longest toe and the inside front of the shoe.) As another measure, some will attempt to fasten or lace up their shoes abnormally tight, in an effort to limit slippage or movement of their feet towards the front of the shoe. This can inhibit blood circulation to the feet, be painful and uncomfortable to the individual, and still may not fully address the foot slippage/movement problem.

Although there are shoe insoles sold in the marketplace today featuring non-slip features, these products take a different approach and utilize notably different materials and structure, compared to the invention at issue. For example, the prior art in these after-market insoles may use different materials for the non-slip effect (such as suede, plastic structure/apertures, or composite fibers), employ a physical mating system involving the sock and/or the shoe (such as fabric hooks), or feature non-slip material on only limited parts of the insole surface (such as the heel portion only).

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention uses a uniquely different physical structure and material to address foot slippage inside shoes during athletic play. Specifically, the insole utilizes numerous elastomer gripping nodules that protrude from the upper surface of the insole, which act as a bed of high-friction gripping “fingers” that firmly secure the feet on the insole within the shoe. The uniqueness of this invention as well as the strength of the grip derive from (i) the insole's physical structure where the individual, flexible nodules “grab” and cradle the foot, and (ii) the nodules' thermoplastic elastomer material possessing strong non-slip properties. In fact, if a wearer first places the insole into his/her shoe before inserting their foot (as one would typically do with insoles), it would be very difficult for the wearer to fully insert their foot as the nodules would grip the foot (with or without sock) upon contact, causing significant discomfort to insert further. Rather, the wearer can place their foot on the insole (while both are outside the shoe) and then, while holding the foot and insole together, slide them both into the shoe. The soft elastomer nodules will also provide support and cushioning to the foot in addition to the non-slip qualities. (The insole itself will stay fixed and stationary within the shoe based on the semi-rigid structure of the insole, assuming the insole is the correct size for the shoe.)

This invention is designed to eliminate any foot slippage or movement inside shoes, not just merely reduce or minimize foot slippage. Indicative of this singular goal is the somewhat impractical method of inserting the foot and insole into a shoe, as explained above. By eliminating foot slippage, the insole will significantly help athletes avoid toe trauma and injury, as well as the associated pain and discomfort, caused by foot slippage inside shoes while playing sports.

The present invention relates to an insole for a shoe that features numerous (e.g., thousands) of soft, non-slip elastomer nodules protruding from the upper surface that are in contact with a foot, designed to eliminate foot slippage against the insole and inside the shoe. The nodules completely cover the insole upper surface in the preferred embodiment, but for individualizing grip, cushion, and comfort, may only partially or substantially cover the surface. In another aspect, the non-slip nodules (as well as the base of the upper layer where the nodules sit) are made of thermoplastic rubber (or other suitable elastomer material) that are soft, bendable, and flexible. These properties provide a bed of gripping “fingers” that secure and cushion the foot against the insole.

In another aspect, the protruding nodules have cylindrical or conical-shaped shafts (and flat or rounded heads/tops) as the preferred shape, with all surface areas of the nodules having the strong non-slip properties. The shape of the nodules may vary from this description, to optimize and individualize grip, cushion, and comfort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a magnified view of embodiments of the nodules' possible shapes; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention along with a socked foot placed on the invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 4 show the preferred embodiments of the invention through different views, all of which represent the right insole to be used with the right foot of the wearer. The left insole for the left foot would consist of mirror images of FIGS. 1 to 4. The magnified views in each of the drawings are not drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 represents a top view of the invention (looking down on the upper surface of the insole), with the surface entirely covered (in this preferred embodiment) by numerous, small gripping nodules. The invention may alternatively have a surface that is substantially or partially covered by the nodules, to optimize or individualize the fit, the non-slip properties, and/or the cushioning. Because the view is squarely from above the insole and nodules, FIG. 1 does not show the nodules' protrusion from the surface and overall structure. While there are numerous gripping nodules on the surface (numbering in the thousands in this preferred FIG. 1 embodiment), the nodules are independent of each other and there exists a small amount of space around and in between each nodule, as shown in magnified view A. The concentration of nodules on the surface may vary to optimize the fit, gripping properties, and cushioning.

FIG. 2 represents a view of the invention from a slightly elevated angle, showing the top and side of the overall insole and, in magnified view B, showing a close-up view of the individual nodules protruding from the surface. The nodules are made of a durable but soft elastomer material with strong gripping properties that prevent the slippage or movement of the foot against the insole when inside a shoe. As shown in this FIG. 2 embodiment, the preferred structure of the insole has certain contours to match the natural shape and curvature of the foot, including an upwards curvature for arch support (area C) and a cupped heel area (area D). To optimize or individualize the insole, the overall shape may have reduced contours and curvature, including being flat or nearly flat.

While the images in FIG. 1 (magnified view A) and FIG. 2 (magnified view B) show a preferred shape of the nodules as having a cylindrical shaft and a relatively flat head, the nodules may have varying shapes and sizes to optimize the non-slip properties and the cushioning. FIG. 3 provides magnified views of different nodule shapes, consisting of seven (7) varying types: a short conical or convex shaft with a rounded head (view E); a cylindrical shaft and flat head (view F) as also shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4; a cylindrical shaft and rounded head (view G); a conical shaft with a flat head (view H); a conical shaft with a rounded head (view I); a cylindrical shaft and flat head attached at an angle to the surface (view J); and a cylindrical shaft looped and connected to the surface on both ends (view K). As these represent only certain examples, the shape of the nodules may vary from the drawings in views E, F, G, H, I, J and K, to optimize or individualize fit, gripping properties, and cushioning. For example, the nodules may incorporate some of the same shapes described above, but incorporate asymmetrical and/or angular shafts and heads. Further, rather than having one particular nodule shape for an entire insole, the insole may have nodules of different shapes to optimize fit and grip (such as different nodule shapes for the heel area, arch area, and toe area respectively).

FIG. 4 shows a drawing of a foot (with sock) utilizing the invention, as it will appear when used inside a shoe. As shown in magnified view L, the nodules are individually movable and bendable under the weight of the wearer's foot. The nodules may move in many different ways (as shown as an example in magnified view I) or be moved or bent more collectively, depending on the shape and position of the individual foot and how it was placed on the insole. With the high-friction, non-slip nodules splayed in different directions and positions, the insole acts as a bed of thousands of rubber gripping “fingers” cradling and securing the foot in place, as well as providing cushioning. The preferred material of the nodules is soft thermoplastic elastomer or thermoplastic rubber that possesses strong gripping properties. Other elastomer materials may be suitable as well.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe insole inserted in a shoe, comprising: an upper surface to be in contact with a foot substantially covered with numerous protruding nodules made of an elastomer material with non-slip, gripping properties that prevents movement or slippage of the foot against the insole when the foot is inside the shoe.
 2. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the nodules are made of soft thermoplastic rubber that can bend and flex under weight of a wearer's foot, thereby cradling, gripping, and cushioning the foot.
 3. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a cylindrical body and a flat top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
 4. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a cylindrical body and a rounded top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
 5. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a conical body and a flat top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
 6. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a conical body and a rounded top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
 7. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a semi-spherical body and a rounded top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
 8. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are a cylindrical with both ends connected to the surface thereby making a loop, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules. 